Diagnosing plant stress to find better solutions.

Keywords: plants, environmental stress, freezing injury, frost resistance, cold acclimation, soluble sugars, cell wall, polysaccharides

Plants cannot move once they establish their roots, so when the surrounding environment changes, they directly experience the effects as "stress." As a result, plants have evolved to cope with various adverse conditions, such as cold and drought, in their respective habitats. In particular, damage caused by cold, known as "freezing stress," is one of the most severe and complex forms of environmental stress, and it remains a significant issue in agriculture even as global warming progresses. Some plants have developed a mechanism called "cold acclimation," which allows them to sense cold and become more resilient to it. This process is akin to "preparing for winter," during which soluble sugars and polysaccharides in the cell walls of the plants increase, and changes such as the activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging systems occur. This can enhance the value of agricultural products. I aim to reduce damage from freezing in agriculture and to quantify and improve the added value of crops by researching the mechanisms of cold acclimation with a focus on sugars.

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